Restaurant Router

[BBT]

I need a new router (not too pricey but not too cheap) for my restaurant. About 15-20 or so devices can connect to it at a time (laptops phones, ipads, etc...) & 2 POS systems (ipads) will need to run off of it. The restaurant is only about 2000 sqft. but the modem is currently in the back room so there's 3 walls for it to get to the POS system and 1 wall to get to the customers.

 

[Kursah]

What's your budget?

Do you have existing network runs to different locations at your site?

If not are you willing to run some CAT5E or pay an electrician or IT guy to? Or pay a little extra to go CAT6 now if you're planning on staying there for a long time or if the price is close...which it could be. Then you could do runs to have one AP mounted on a wall or ceiling in the area where customers will be and one back near the restroom/kitchen area/office area (depending on your layout). Provide better coverage and quality that way.

I'd recommend you run Ubiquity, an EdgrouterX or Edgerouter Lite3. This is business-grade gear at one helluva budget price. But these devices are simply firewall/routers, no wireless. Each has enough ports to manage 2 access points without extra hardware (network switches).

So look into getting some Ubiquity UniFi AP's. A couple of the AC Pro's would be excellent, but you could even go with cheaper if you don't need higher bandwidth speeds. The Standard $60-ish UniFi AP's (wireless N) are pretty damn excellent too. They can easily handle the wireless network load and also support a isolated guest network. Meaning your guests can connect, all they can do is browse the web...and are automatically blocked from accessing any other network resource. Plus you can set bandwidth management too so that noone is hogging it all. Also like many other wireless routers/AP's you can host multiple wireless networks (SSID') of varying security levels.

I wouldn't rely on a home-grade wireless router, you could...and spend $200-300 on one. Or you could get some enterprise-grade gear that you can set and forget. Though being enterprise-grade isn't quite as easy to setup, but also isn't all that hard either and worth every penny. There's a lot of documentation and several folks here (including myself) fairly fluent with UBNT devices and software. The nice thing is these are usually set-it-and-forget-it.

I won't suggest any less for a business and hell even for home users I would suggest these solutions in-place of home-grade routers. Hope this helps!



Edit: I should add the AP's support using a portal as well.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Have you looked at Draytek? https://www.draytek.com/
They make really solid products that aren't stupidly expensive.
They offer a nice range of features that you might want if you're going to give your customers access, like the ability to block access to certain sites etc. and web portal login, so you can control who can access the internet and even promote today's special when people log in to use the internet.

 

[remixedcat]

Please let us know your budget so we can assist you further. Thank you.

 

[BBT]

My budget is probably no more than $250/300. But I'm not sure if that's too low?

I rather not run any wires or pay anyone to. Right now there's a modem and router set up in the back room already. But the router strength seems too weak as the internet keeps cutting off if you are standing by the front of the store (where the POS systems are).

 

[Athlon2K15]

What is your current router? If its a wireless n router you will probably gain a good boost just moving to a wireless AC solution. Amped Wireless usually has some of the longest range for a good price. Their new Athena-R2 isn't bad at all. If you have the extra you could look into mesh like Linksys Velop or Ubiquiti Amplifi HD.

 

[eidairaman1]

I need a new router (not too pricey but not too cheap) for my restaurant. About 15-20 or so devices can connect to it at a time (laptops phones, ipads, etc...) & 2 POS systems (ipads) will need to run off of it. The restaurant is only about 2000 sqft. but the modem is currently in the back room so there's 3 walls for it to get to the POS system and 1 wall to get to the customers.

Get one with removable antennas, does the place have drop down ceiling?

 

[Jetster]

Are you providing WiFi for costumers? Then you will need something that can handle many connections and not allow them to access your network

 

[BBT]

Are you providing WiFi for costumers? Then you will need something that can handle many connections and not allow them to access your network

Get one with removable antennas, does the place have drop down ceiling?

yes it does

Are you providing WiFi for costumers? Then you will need something that can handle many connections and not allow them to access your network

Which one would you recommend for that that also has a good reach?

 

[FR@NK]

You need to separate your pos from your public wifi network.

Which one would you recommend for that that also has a good reach?

You will want atleast one access point close to where the public will be accessing the network. Can you run a network cable to the front?

 

[Kursah]

Which one would you recommend for that that also has a good reach?

Ubiquity UniFi AP's are rated for 400ft, The LR and Pro range are rated for 600ft. Super impressive for the price. Looking here at the generations and clients supported, and here to confirm which AP is on which generation (UniFi AP and LR are Gen 1, UniFi AP AC Lite, LR and Pro is Gen 2. That being said, the $60 UAP's are rated for 50+ users (50/channel), which I've seen close to 40/AP before in deployments. The newer AP AC-series is good for 125+ users (125/channel) and I have zero doubts, these things are beasts. I've seen many home-grade routers struggle to maintain 20 independent connected clients over WiFi, some can handle more though...but you'll pay for it...and the value might not be there when compared to other solutions.

The Asus AC68U that I use as an AP at home (got it when T-Mobil was welling em for $60) has a claimed by Asus to cover a large home, or T-Mobil as being good for 3000sq. ft. I would say it has good coverage, but not THAT good. I wouldn't pin it any better than the UniFi AP's. The AP LR and AP Pro's have better coverage in my experience.

There are home-grade routers with more and more powerful antennas that could provide coverage though..frankly I think at that point looking into some better gear is a good idea. Especially in a business environment...

My budget is probably no more than $250/300. But I'm not sure if that's too low?

I rather not run any wires or pay anyone to. Right now there's a modem and router set up in the back room already. But the router strength seems too weak as the internet keeps cutting off if you are standing by the front of the store (where the POS systems are).

How important is your network, its security and reliability for you? Use those to have in impact on your network budget for your business. If it's not as big of a deal, $250 should be okay... if you want solid stability, great signal, consistency, and more security features, then spend a bit more...$300-400, maybe a little more...depending on how much you want good coverage and speed.

Your issue is from the signal dropping out could be resolved with a wire run and wireless access point installation. Even if you used a home-grade router in that situation (as I use at home, but mine is in AP mode, I have a dedicated router), getting it to where the best front area signal coverage can be provided will make things a lot easier to deal with. As I detailed in my last post 2 AP's would cover the front area and back area, providing you great coverage instead of what you have now. You might get a quote on running the wire or look into it...would really make a difference here if its possible to accomplish.



Edit: Also agreed above, you need a dedicated network for your POS systems. Even if they go to a cloud CMS. Many cloud-based iPad solutions I deal with for restaurants usually push for a dedicated SSID and VLAN, with restricted access. The Ubiqutiy stuff above should be able to get that done for you if that becomes a requirement.

 

[Dethroy]

@Kursah already covered all the finer details. Seriously, listen to this man - he knows his onions.
Just wanted to add that Aruba and Ruckus have very good APs as well (just like Ubiquity). While Ruckus may not exactly fit your budget, Aruba should (e.g. Aruba 207 Series).

 

[remixedcat]

Aruba and Ruckus are pricey tho almost the same, if not, more than cisco. I'd go with the Ubiquity solution....

I'd recommend a cloud key so you don't have to have a PC running full time for the controller and 2 AP AC lites... Just make sure you have enough electrical outlets or usb power sources nearby the modem/router so you can power the cloud key, if not you'll need a PoE switch. Also make allocations for your UPS units if need be and make sure you have a good one.

I do , however have 2 Aruba RAP-109s I can sell you for 300 a peice (450MRSP) and they work well. I can possibly work down the price a lil as well.. They are not 802.11ac, however they are dual band n APs that have a good amount of security/rf options and even splash pages for guest wifi. PM me if interested. I'd like to sell those to clear out inventory that I'm not using, due to house renovations...

 

[eidairaman1]

yes it does


Which one would you recommend for that that also has a good reach?

Where ever your main router is, either you can replace it directly and get long antenna lines or you can have a cat5/6 line ran and have that router in the ceiling with the antenna sticking out.

 

[Solaris17]

I'd recommend a cloud key so you don't have to have a PC running full time for the controller

unless you have a USG and are using DTI or advanced features you do not need to have the controller running at all. its config and forget as far as the APs are concerned and the edge routers dont even interface with the controller. Its strictly a Unifi featureset.

 

[remixedcat]

I use advanced features and some roaming adjustments and such... and some tweaks for denon heos units... I need the controller running for that.. my denon heos units freaked out big league when I had my pc offline for a while to replace the cooler fan and upgrade my SSD.... my music from my phone stopped streaming and the app thought they were offline...

 

[Solaris17]

I use advanced features and some roaming adjustments and such... and some tweaks for denon heos units... I need the controller running for that.. my denon heos units freaked out big league when I had my pc offline for a while to replace the cooler fan and upgrade my SSD.... my music from my phone stopped streaming and the app thought they were offline...

right, so not necessary

 

[Pete1burn]

I have two Unifi AC APs running my entire house. I even get full signal in the basement where is no AP. Super easy to maintain from the virtual controller. Requires some networking experience to set up initially and they do require a router for DHCP. Oh and a PoE switch or optional power adapter. I run two through a Unifi Toughswitch. Love my wifi.

 

[Kursah]

The nice thing is that the UBNT AP's come with the optional POE adapter, some AP's (looking at you Ruckus) do not.

 

[KrisCo]

Im rocking a Ubiquity AP AC (not the pro model) off my pfsense router. Range on these things is out of this world, or at least mine is.